Cooling and ice tank coils



June '21, 1.932.

E. s. H. BAARS 1,863,892

COOLING AND ICE TANK COILS Filed June 12,. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lLLi Lmrwllll III/ll 1/! IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

fir:

Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNST S. H. BAAR S, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE VILTEB MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISGON SIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN COOLING AND ICE TANK OOILS Application filed June 12,

My invention. has relation to improvements in cooling and ice tankcoils.

One of the important objects of the invention is the provision of a plurality of comparatively short and more or less Vertical tubes through which the ammonia or other refrigerant passes in extracting the heat from the brine, water or other medium and in which the short tubes are immersed, and by permitting the brine, etc. to be circulated per pendicularly instead of parallel to the surface, providing for a more efficient extraction of the heat from the liquid to be cooled than has heretofore been possible, and where by the refrigerant is not required to travel way back to the accumulator to set up the circulation necessary to liberate the gas.

A further object is to provide for a uniform level of the liquid refrigerant throughout the upper header to which the tubes are attached.

A further object is to provide a refrigerant tube equipped with an inner tube to permit the more rapid flow'upwardly of the gas or vapor without interfering with the flow of the liquid refrigerant in the outer tube, thereby maintaining the inner surface of the outer tube wet with the ammonia.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for discharging oil from the liquid refrigerant tubes, which may have been gathered in the passage of the ammonia through the compressor, and through the working parts of the refrigerating plant.

A still further object is to provide for a liberal flow of the liquid refrigerant from one end of the apparatus to the other.

With the above objects, and other incidental objects, in View, the invention consists of the devices and parts, or the equivalents thereof, as hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the tank or container, showing the improved mechanism properly posi- 1929. Serial No. 370,278.

tioned therein, with a portion of the tank Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 33 of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale and looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 4 is cross-section on the line H of Fig. 2, also on an enlarged scale, and looking in the direction of the arrow; and

Fig. '5 isan enlarged plan view of a fragment of one of the supplemental headers and its associated tubes, parts being broken away.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 6 indicates the tank in which the improved mechanismflis disposed, and in which cans containing water to be cooled or frozen can be placed, whenever the apparatus is used for cooling or freezing water within cans.

The numeral 7 indicates the accumulator, which communicates with the compressor, condenser,receiver, etc. in short,with the high pressure side of a refrigerating system (not shown).

A horizontally and centrally disposed upper header 8 extends from the accumulator and communicates therewith. V

A series of supplemental headers 9 com municate with and extend in opposite directions from the upper header 8, said supplemental headers at their outer ends being closed. Any desired number of the supplemental headers may be provided. In the drawings, I have shown three of said headers extending in one direction from the upper header, and three others extending in the opposite direction from said upper header. It should be understood that the arrangement of the supplemental headers is not limited to that described and shown. As conditions rection and may be located in the center and the sides of a tank.

Vertical tubes or pipes 10 connect at their upper ends to each of the supplemental headers 9, and these pipes are shown as arranged on opposite sides of said supplemental headers. The upper end of each of these pipes is curved over the top of the supplemental header with which it co-operates as indicated by the numeral 11, and then passes through an opening 12 in the supplemental header and into the interior thereof for a short distance. These curved over ends 11 are preferably disposed at an oblique angle. In this way, the different supplemental headers may be arranged more closely together than if the curved ends extended in a right angle to the supplemental headers and in line with each other and each tube may directly engage a side portion of its supporting supplemental header for compactness and rigidity. Also, preferably, the curved over and obliquely extending upper ends of these pipes, in one row, are staggered with respect to the next adj acent row, whereby it is not necessary for the holes in the headers through which these curved ends pass to be so close to each other as to weaken the metal. This arrangement also permits better access in case of welding. I do not wish to be understood,however, as limiting myself to the employment of two rows of these pipes 10 for each supplemental header, inasmuch as successful results could be obtained by having merely one row arranged on one side of each of said supplemental headers. The double row. construction, however, is preferred.

Each of the pipes 10 has its lower end curved, as indicated by the numeral 13, and is then extended upwardly, as indicated by the numeral 14:, and passes through a lower opening 15 in the supplemental header, and projects into the interior thereof for a short distance.

Extending from the under side of the outer end of each supplemental header, and communicating with the interior of the latter, is a downwardly extending vertical pipe 16. Each of these pipes 16 is bent at right angles, to form a continuation thereof, indicated by the numeral 17. This continuation is carried inwardly a sufiicient distance to join and communicate with the interior of a horizontal lower header 18, which latter header extends to and communicates with the lower portion of the accumulator 7. Thus there will be a series'of pipes 16, one pi e depending from each upper supplemental eader, and bent inwardly to communicate with the lower header 18, which latter,in turn, communicates with the accumulator.

I also prefer to provide a means to permit of a more rapid flow upwardly of the vaporized refrigerant to the accumulator and compressor, without interfering with the flow of the liquid refrigerant. To this end I have arranged Within the upwardly extending tubular leg 14 of each refrigerant tube, another smaller tube 19. The lower end of each of these tubes 19 ends at about the upper end of the curved portion 13 of the refrigerant tube, and the upper end of each of these tubes 19 extends slightly above the upper end of each leg portion 14, being curved at its extremity and opening into the interior of the supplemental header 9.

In order to discharge any oil that may be gathered by the ammonia in the passage thereof through the compressor and other working parts of the refrigerating plant, I provide each curved end 13 of the refrigerant tubes with a-depending short tube 20. These tubes'20 for each line or series of refrigerant pipes connect with longitudinally extending oil discharge pipes 21, which pip-cs 21connect to headers 21a, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and these angular bent portions 21a are provided with valve controlling mechanisms 22.

ySuitabl secured within the tank, central- 1y thereo and in front of the headers and refrigerant tubes, is a ring or annular housing 23, which surrounds a propeller 2a, preferably in the form of a screw, operated in a suitable manner. When the propeller is under operation, it produces a constant circulation of the refrigerating liquid within the tank around the headers and the refrigerant tubes, whereby a rapid cooling of the refrigerating liquid is secured.

The foregoing being a description of the different elements and parts of the improved apparatus, a description of the operation of said apparatus will now be given.

It will be understood that the tank is filled withthe brine, water or other refrigerating li uid to a desired heigh Where the apparatus is employed for freezing water contained in cans positioned within the tank, the said cans are properly positioned within the portion of the tank in advance of the space occupied by the apparatus, being placed in the different spaces between the partitions :25.

Any suitable refrigerant may be used, such as ammonia, methyl chloride, carbon dioxide, etc., although ammonia is preferred.

The liquid refrigerant in the upper supplemental headers 9 fills the same usually to about the height indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

The course of supply of the liquid refrigerant may be described as flowing from condenser -to receiver, to accumulator and from here through the lower header 18, thence outwardly in opposite directions through the horizontal pipes 17, thence upwardly in the Vertical pipes 16, and thence inwardly and along the supplemental headers 9. In addition, the refrigerant will back up into headers its 9 from the accumulator-7 whichis in communication with said supplemental headers by header -8. The vaporized refrigerant flows from the upper part of headers 9 into the upper main header 8, thence to the accumulator 7 thence to the compressor and finally to the condenser.

In its circulatory course, the refrigerant extracts heat from the brine, water or other mediums in which the apparatus is immersed, and after it has extracted acertain amount of heat from it, it is necessarily converted into a gaseous form, and this gas or vapor travels back to and through the main header 8 to the accumulator, thence to the compressor, and finally to the condenser, where it is subjected to sprays of cold water which convert it into liquid form, and this liquid again takes the course previously outlined;

No more liquid refrigerant has to flow into supplemental header 9 than what is evaporated inthe vertical tubes on pipes 10 and 14. A rapid circulation is set up in tubes 10 and 14 and bends 11 and 13, due to a law of physics which is operative when pumping water with compressed air. The mixture of the liquid refrigerant with the vapor is lighter than the solid liquid column in tubes 19 and 14, and therefore can be lifted up through bend 11 back into header 9 from which continuous recirculation is set up by the ever formingvapor bubbles.

The liquid head to cause rapid circulation in the vertical tubes 10 and let naturally is very small and no losses need be expected. On the other hand, rapid circulation on the inside as well as outside of the vertical tubes increases the transfer of heat considerably.

* It is a well known fact that the short pipe will not have an excessive amount of vapor present, as may be the case with long pipe systems, resulting in dry surfaces, lies the foundation of high transfer of heat per unit of surface. 7

From the foregoing it will be seen that a sholt course is provided for the liquid refrigerant, and this gives the said refrigerant an opportunity to perform its duty of maximum extraction of the heat units from the brine, water or other mediums while it is converted into gaseous form, thereby avoiding the disadvantage which arises when the liquid is compelled to take a long course, as is ordinarily the case. 1

Such of the refrigerant liquid as is converted into vapor or gas rises, passes through the liquid not yet converted into gas, fills the space above the level of the liquid refrigerant and passes to the accumulator, and then to the compressor and condenser, in the manner hereinbefore fully explained. It will therefore be seen that a perfect circulation of the ammonia is obtained, as well as the vaporized ammonia, as previously explained,

and there is also acompletecirculation of the brine water around the different cooling tubes and pipes. q

The ascendinggaseous vapor, as is well known, has the appearance of little bubbles, which rise through the liquid ammonia. The rising gas or vapor where the refrigerant is compelled to take'a long course will become such a large volume that'there is no room for liquid to keep the surfaces wet, and there is no opportunity to efficiently extract the heat units from the brine. Such of this rising vapor which is adjacent to the inner surfaces of the cooling tubes has a tendency to become dry and practically form at different points an insulation which prevents the refrigerant liquid from contactingwith the inner sides of the tubes and pipes through which said liquid passes, thereby'resulting in destroying the intimate relation between the refrigerant liquid circulating on the inside of the tubes and-pipes and the brine flowing on the outside of said tubes and pipes. Where, however, the refrigerant travels but a comparatively short distance, as inmyinvention, the'premature drying ofthewalls of the refrigerant tubes also is avoided. Therefore, the walls of these tubes are kept wet with the refrigerant liquid for a proper length of time, so that practically a liquid to liquid contact between the refrigerant liquid in the tubes and the brine on the outside of the tubes is maintained.

The advantage above pointed out is even more efficiently obtained by the provision of the pipes 19 within the upwardly extending legs l4 of the refrigerant tubes. These pipes 19 form a conduit for permitting a considerable portion of the gas or vapor to flow upwardly through the same, leaving the portions of the upwardly extending pipe legs 14: free for the downwardlflow of the refrigerant liquid.

As has heretofore been stated, the apparatus may be used for cooling or freezing water within cans, the cans with the water therein being positioned within the tank in the different spaces formed by the partitions 25. I, however, do not wish to be understood as limitin myselfto this particular adaptation of the apparatus, inasmuch as the apparatus can be used merely for cooling brine, water, or other media, and then conducting the cooled media to a distant point where the cooled media is to be utilized, and then conducting said cooled media back to the tank 6.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In cooling and ice tank coils, thecombination of a tanlgsaid tank being filled for a desired height with a refrigerating liquid, a main header communicating with a source of liquid refrigerant supply, and extending into the tank for a desired distance, a series of supplemental headers extending from and in communication with the main header, and

a series of refrigerant tubes on opposite sides of each supplemental header, each tube being bent over at its upper end and extending diagonally over the top of its associated supplemental header and in communication therewith, the curved upper ends of the tubes on opposite sides of the supplemental header being disposed in reverse diagonal directions, and said tubes extending downwardly and upwardly and communicating at the extremitiesof their upwardly extending portions with their associated supplementalheaders.

2. In cooling and ice tank coils, thecombination of a tank, said tank being filled for a desired height with a refrigerating liquid, a main header extending into the tank for a desired distance and communicating with a' source of liquid refrigerant, a series of supplemental headers extending from and in communication with the main header, and closed at their outer ends, and a series of refrigerant tubes on opposite sides ofeach supplemental header, each tube being bent over at its upper end and extending diagonally over the top of the supplemental header with which it cooperates, andvin communication with said supplemental header, the curved upper ends of the tubes on opposite sides of its associated supplemental header being disposed in reverse diagonal directions and staggered with respect to each other, and said tubes extending downwardly and upwardly and communicating at the extremities of their upwardly-extending portions with their associated supplemental headers.

3. In cooling and ice tank coils, the combination of a tank, said tank being filled for a desired height with a refrigerating liquid, a main header communicating with a source of liquid refrigerant and extending into the tank, a series of supplemental headers ex tending from and in communication with the main header, a series of refrigerant tubes for each supplemental header, the upper end of each of said tubes communicating with the supplemental header with which it co-operates, and then extended downwardly and curved around and then extended upwardly, the extremity of said upwardly extending portion communicating with the interior of the supplemental header, and an open ended tube within each upwardly extending portion of each refrigerant tube, and spaced from the inner wall of the latter tube, said inner tube communicating at its upper end with the interior of the supplemental header, and having its lower end terminating a desired distance below. 7

4. In cooling and ice tank coils, the combination of a tank, said tank being filled for a desired height with a refrigerating liquid, 21 main header communicating with a source of liquid refrigerant and extending into the tank, :a series of supplemental headers extending from andxcominunicating with the main header, a series ofv refrigerant tubes for each supplemental header, the upper end of each of said tubes communicating with the supplemental header with which it co-operates, and then extended downwardly and bentaround and extended upwardly, the extremity of the upwardly extending portion communicating with the supplemental header, and an oil tube depending from the bend of each refrigerant tube, and an oil discharge pipe with which the oil tube communicates.

5. A cooling system, comprising, a main refrigerant distributing header, parallel auxiliary headers communicating with said main header, and a plurality of tubes extending from the bottom of each of said auxiliary headers to a point above the same and returning to the top thereof, the ends of said tubes communicating with their respective supporting headers and the portions of said tubes located between the adjacent headers engaging their supporting headers.

6. A cooling system, comprising, a main refrigerant distributing header, parallel auxiliary headers communicating with said main header, and a plurality of tubes extending from the bottom of each of said auxiliary headers to a point above the same and having laterally curved portions returning to the top thereof, saidcurved portions lying in planes disposed obliquely relative to the tube supporting headers.

7. In cooling and ice tank coils, the combination of a tank, said tank being filled for a desired height with a refrigerating liquid, an accumulator communicating with a source of refrigerant supply, a main header communicating with said accumulator and extending into the tank for a desired distance, a series of supplemental headers extending from and in communication with the main header, and a series of refrigerant tubes on opposite sides of each supplemental header, each tube being bent over at its upper end and extending diagonally over the top of its associated supplemental header and in communication therewith, the curved upper ends of the tubes on opposite sides of the supplemental header being disposed in reverse diagonal directions, and said tubes extending downwardly and upwardly and communicating at the extremities of their upwardly extending portions with their associated supplemental headers.

8. In cooling and ice tank coils, the combination of a tank, said tank being filled for a desired height with a refrigerating liquid, a main upper header communicating with a source of liquid refrigerant supply, a lower header also communicating with a source of liquid refrigerant supply, both of said headers extending into the tank for adesir-ed distance, a series ofsupplemental headers extending from and in communication with said main upper header, and a series of refrigerant tubes on opposite sides of each supplemental header, each tube being bent over at its upper end and extending diagonally over the top of its associated supplemental header and in communication therewith, the curved upper ends of the tubes on opposite sides of the supplemental header being disposed in reverse diagonal directions, and said tubes extending downwardly and upwardly and communicating at the extremities of their upwardly extending portions with their associated supplemental headers.

In testimony whereof, I afix my signature.

ERNST S. H. BAARS. 

